Former captain Sourav Ganguly provided the platform and Mahendra Singh Dhoni produced quick runs yesterday as India built an imposing total of 469 on the second day of the second test against Australia.
The Australians were on the back foot almost immediately in reply when Zaheer Khan bowled
Matthew Hayden for a duck in the first over.
Ganguly, playing his final series, moved cautiously toward his 16th century before being dismissed after lunch for 102 off 225 balls, while Dhoni slapped eight fours and four sixes on his way to 92 off 124 balls. Dhoni's aggression took India further ahead and his 109-run partnership with Ganguly put the hosts in a dominant position.
The Australian bowlers tried to attack Dhoni with short balls but he hooked and pulled superbly to deflate the attack, which had hoped for a quick end to the innings.
Ganguly was much more precise, working the ball cleverly and occasionally lashing out, as he looked to reconfirm his spot before he retires at the end of the series.
Rookie Peter Siddle struck in the fifth over of the day when he came around the wicket and nightwatchman Ishant Sharma (9) fended the ball to Simon Katich at leg gully.
India had resumed the second morning at 311-5 and was 326-6 when Dhoni arrived, pulling his first ball from Brett Lee for four. His fifth, from Siddle, went over fine leg for six.
Two Dhoni fours came from the same Lee over before drinks and after the first hour, India had scored 51.
Lee hurt his right hand while fielding and left the ground at drinks for further treatment. He received two stitches for a split webbing but returned for the second session.
Siddle had figures of 2-100 while Mitchell Johnson (3-85) did not add to his wicket haul.
On the first day, Sachin Tendulkar became the all-time leading run-scorer in test cricket, surpassing retired West Indies batsman Brian Lara's mark of 11,953 before he was out for 88 - an innings that lifted him beyond 12,000 career test runs.
